Blog

20 Mar 2019

Builder V4.5: Pre-Release Announcement (Beta Version Available!)

Development / 65 Comments

After a few months of silent and hard work behind-the-scenes, we are proud to announce the pre-release of Builder V4.5! We basically re-coded the entire Builder core to now use Javascript for a better and faster user experience when it comes to loading the module options and styling.

Along with these performance enhancements, we've added a few new modules and many new and exciting Builder features! If you want a sneak peek at the latest version of the Builder and framework, try out our beta version of Builder V4.5. Read on for details and a friendly disclaimer.

Faster Performance

The biggest deal in the Builder V4.5 is the performance improvements. In the current version, the module lightbox is processed and loaded with PHP. As we add more modules and options, the page parsing gets bigger and this can cause performance issues. To solve this performance concern, we are now using Javascript to load the module lightbox, and the lightbox is only loaded when the user triggers it. This helps the Builder to load much much faster than before.

The Builder is more scalable as well — we can load more modules and options without affecting the Builder's speed or performance. What does this mean? More goodies! We'll be working on bringing you more cool features and enhancements to existing ones.

New Modules

• Opt-in Form: Increase the numbers of subscribers, leads, and visitor to buyer conversions with the new Optin Form module. As a starter, we've included the major newsletter providers (such as Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, GetResponse) and also a free Newsletter plugin option that does not require any subscription fees (it uses your own mail server to send newsletters).

• Login Form: The custom login form module was a popular request! We are extremely please to be able to include it in this release. Now you can display the login form anywhere with this new module. Users can reset passwords using the same form. You also get a full set of styling controls on all form elements including their hover state.

Bing Maps

For those who are concerned about the Google Maps Pricing Change and looking for an alternative, we have good news. In the upcoming version of the Builder, you can choose Bing Maps as the map provider. Bing Maps still requires an API key to use it, however, you don't need to setup the billing plan or attach your credit card with it.

New Styling Features

• Hover Styling: It is one of the most exciting features in Builder V4.5. Hover styling allows you to change the color, background, font, etc. when an element is hovered over. You can make things glow, expand, shrink, pop, and camouflage, all with hover. All styling options now have a hover state styling.

• Height and Min-Height: The height and min-height styling option allows you to set the row and column to specific heights regardless of the content inside. In the past we've been using the padding option to control the row and column's height, now you can use the height property for this purpose.

• Rounded Corners: Not a fans of sharp and squared corners? Make it rounded then. You can make each element's corner to have a different border radius, or have them all be the same (similar to padding).

• Text Shadow: Previously we added gradient font styling. Now we are excited to introduce text shadow. It is a great feature to make large headings pop!

• Box Shadow: Make things stand out and add more depth to an element by adding shadow. It supports RGBA colour, so you can apply nice semi-transparent soft shadows that blend in with the background nicely.

• Blend Mode: Blend mode affects how colours should appear when elements overlap. If you want to change the appearance of a module and how it overlaps with the background layers, you would use the blend mode feature.
  

New: Find and Replace Tool

The find and replace tool allows you easily find and replace content within the Builder. Lets say you have a lot of buttons linking to your old site, now you can mass replace them without going to each page and edit them manually. It is definitely a huge time saving tool!

Floating or Docked Panel

The new Builder now offers two interface modes: floating or docked. With the floating mode, the module panel is draggable, resizeable, and collapsible. You can place it anywhere as you want or close it to give yourself the maximum working space. If you drag the module panel to either the left or right edge, it will trigger the docked mode. With the docked mode, the module and option lightbox are always docked on the side which gives you a complete unobstructive preview of the layout.

Themify Setting Quick Search

As our theme features are growing, there are more options on the Themify panel. Now you can easily search the Themify panel settings without having to look through the setting tab. For example: if you search "portfolio", it will show you all fields related to the term "portfolio".

Beta Version Available

Are you tempted and interested in trying all of the new features? We have a beta version available for you! But please note, we do our best to test something extensively before releasing it, but of course we can't be perfect. The beta version of Builder V4.5 may have a few bugs or issues yet unknown to us. We're grateful for your feedback. Please follow the instructions below to install the beta version.

WARNING: Please do not use the beta version on your live site as it is not finalized yet. We recommend that you use it on a testing site only. Also, the new update requires the new versions of all the Builder addons which we haven't released yet. If you have the old Builder addons activated, please disable them, or else the Builder won't turn on.

How to Install Themify Builder V4.5 Beta Version:

• Download the themify-beta.zip and upload it as is to WP-admin > Appearance > Themes (do not use it on a live site, install it on a test site!)
• Deactivate all Builder addons if you have any
• Have fun with the new features! :)

Bug Report & Feedback

If you encounter any issues or bugs, feel free to contact us or comment on this blog post below. This update was possible with the help of all of our hardworking developers, as well as all of you! Because of your continued support, we have been able to keep making Themify better and better. Thank you!